After the outstanding performance of Marc Marquez, who won both the Thai GP and the MotoGP World Championship in 2019, care is now being taken to seal the 2019 MotoGP Constructors Championship for Honda.
The 3-mile Twin Ring Motegi circuit is not only the venue for the Japanese Grand Prix, but also the home race of Honda. Motegi was built in 1997 and has hosted MotoGP races since 2000. In 2004 Motegi became the home of the Japanese GP. Motegi is characterized by a number of strong braking zones and offers a unique challenge for teams and drivers.
Marc Marquez is returning to Japan as world champion and would like to add to his two previous victories at the Honda home race. With the championship in hand, Marquez is determined to finish 2019 in the best possible way and to continue his perfect record of the top 2 races this season. Marc Marquez starts this weekend with 53 wins in the premier class and has the chance to name five-time world champion Mick Doohan as the most successful Honda driver in the premier class.
With a lead of 77 points in the constructors ‘championship over Ducati and an advantage of 83 points over Yamaha, the Japanese GP also offers Honda the first chance to win the constructors’ championship. Honda must leave Japan with a 75-point advantage over Ducati and Yamaha, a race win or a goal where leading Honda is ahead of leading Ducati and Yamaha would secure the 2019 title – Honda’s 25th in the premier class.
At 32 years and 169 days, Jorge Lorenzo is said to be the youngest driver to have made 200 starts in the premier class – with the record set by Dani Pedrosa, who was 32 years and 170 days old. After a difficult GP in Thailand, the five-time world champion is hoping to get back to the form he showed earlier this year. With three wins and additional podiums, Lorenzo has consistently achieved strong results on his previous visits to Japan.
The promotion begins on Friday, October 18th at 10:50 a.m. local time with the MotoGP FP1. The 24-lap Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday is expected to start at 3:00 p.m. local time.